Anticipation
by Midnight Circus
Summary: He was in love, and then all was lost.


Hi everyone who has stumbled upon this story! I hope you will enjoy it! It is my first Naruto fic, and to be honest, I am not too sure how it's going to turn out (but I got the plot) I simply adore Naruto and Sasuke, but lately, I have developed a liking for Naruto and Itachi, therefore, I shall prepare myself to ignore the first one and move on. However, I can't seem to find many nice and _**long**_ Naruto Itachi stories, so I'm just going to write one myself. (Oh and by that I mean Naruto and Itachi stories that I can read, meaning T rated and below.)

Well, enjoy! If there is anything wrong with it, please don't hesitate to tell me

Oh and by the way, I forgot about the fox, so i'm just going to pretend he doesn't exist (anymore)

* * *

Naruto sat at the table, wringing his hands in anxiety. Sasuke was returning from his mission that day. Should he get anything special? Cook anything special? Wear anything special? He didn't know, but two months was a long time. He glanced at the clock. Sasuke was due in another hour and a half. What if he was held up? This was an A class mission after all. What if he was... No, he would not think those horrible things.

An hour and a half, Naruto was getting nervous. He counted the days which Sasuke had been gone. Two months for the mission itself. And another six for training. Two months of no communication at all, six months of stolen kisses and fleeting glances across the breakfast table. He clenched his fists and drew in a shuddering breath. The white gold ring stood out against his tanned fingers. He stroked the metal tenderly before placing a kiss on the gemstones studded in the centre.

"I miss you, Sasuke." He whispered to no one in particular. He raised his head to check the clock again. One hour and twenty minutes, and he would meet his beloved again. He sighed in happiness, getting out of the chair in an attempt to get something more productive done. He had removed the stack of papers from the in tray, when a click was heard from the door.

_Sasuke_! His heart leapt, and he dropped neatly stacked papers onto the desk, scattering them over the wooden board. He didn't care. HE was back.

Sprinting out of the room, he pounced onto the figure at the door and raised his voice into a joyful shout, "Sasu! Sasuke! You're back early! And you've gotten ta—"

Something wasn't right. This wasn't Sasuke. The black-clad figure turned around, eyebrows raised, and Naruto found himself face to face with an expressionless Uchiha Itachi.

"Err…" This was awkward. He leapt off Itachi as if he was on fire.

"Hello, Naruto-kun, I need to get something from the storeroom." With a swish of his cloak, he glided to the storeroom, extracted something from the topmost shelf and thanked Naruto, before leaving the house. Naruto was almost frozen with shock. Oh what had he done now? He had just mistaken a powerful and respect heir for his younger brother, yelled at him, and hugged him. _ Hugged_ him.

He buried his face in his hands and groaned in embarrassment. What was he going to do now? He checked the time once again. One hour and ten minutes. Time had passed so slowly over the last two months, and it was just dragging along now wasn't it? He sighed and returned to the room, a sea of messed up papers waiting for him. Well, at least he had something to do now. Why couldn't he had been sent on the mission as well? According to that granny hokage, he was injured. That idiot rogue ninja on the previous mission just_ had_ to do that stupid jutsu that nearly killed them all, just so he could, oh that's right, keep that effing scroll. Four months of recuperation, and still not healed.

He wanted a mission, he didn't want to sit all day in the stuffy room sorting papers like some common secretary. He was a Jounin for god's sake, surely he had to have some dignity?

Apparently not. He bent down to pick up a pale blue sheet that had fluttered down under the table, as he stretched out his arm to reach for that dammed sheet, he felt a sharp pain in his right side. He straightened himself sharply, forgetting that there was a three centimeter thick plank of wood in the way. Needless to say, he hit his head. Hard.

Holding his bruised head in his hands, he swore, and crawled out of that little hole, slapping the miserable excuse for a mission report on the table and a paper weight on the newly sorted stack. He sank onto the ground, hand still rubbing his sore head.

There was a voice from the doorway, "Sorry Naruto-kun, I have to get something else, I forgot just now."

Naruto shot up from his crouching position and bowed, "I'm so sorry Uchiha-san, I mistook you for someone else—" He could have slapped himself. Sasuke was Itachi's brother. His BROTHER! And he was referring to him as someone Itachi barely knew…

"Um… I mean…"

"My brother?" the smirk was evident in his voice, "Yes, many have made that mistake. Now do you mind if I make another trip to the storage?" Naruto looked up, for it finally seemed safe to do so, and was relieved to find a smirk on the older Uchiha's face.

"Yes, yes."

He had always felt guilty for living in the house. Sasuke was adamant about not moving back into the main house, for, that was where his parent's were murdered. And so Itachi had allowed them to move into the secondary one, where all the supplies and utilities were kept, making it extremely troublesome for him when he needed anything. But he had agreed anyway. And so now he was here, trying to find something that did not seem to be kept in the storeroom.

"Would you like me to—"

"No," Itachi replied curtly, "Thank you, but no."

"Okay," Naruto was hesitant, he did not want to anger this great man, "If there's anything you need…" He slunk off, grateful that he did not have to spend another moment in that frightening person's presence. He wasn't much different from Sasuke, now that he thought about it.

_Sasuke_. He was perfect. His raven black hair, onyx eyes that flashed crimson when in the sharingan. And, as far as he was concerned, he was the only one who had ever seen the pink lips curve more than two degrees upwards, something he was proud of. He checked the annoying black hands of the clock on the wall for the hundredth time that day. One more hour to go. His face lit up with happiness. One hour. Just sixty minutes more. He could survive this. He would survive this.

With newfound confidence, Naruto returned to Itachi, who seemed to have located the item he needed and had slipped the black fabric over his shoulders.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, could you tell Sasuke that I won't be back for a week or so?"

"Sure!" He smiled brightly, dare he push his luck? "Why?"

"Because I won't be here myself," Itachi replied, deliberately misinterpreting the question.

Naruto rolled his eyes inwardly, but didn't correct him. If Uchihas were known to be ice blocks, Itachi was probably the continent of Antarctica itself.

"O-kay."

Itachi left, no doubt on another S-class mission or something of the like. Naruto shook his head, that person really needed to melt a little, before he caused another ice age. But, at least, Sasuke was beginning to defrost. Sasuke was like a frozen dinner. Unappetizing at first, but when put in a microwave, it showed its true deliciousness inside. Naruto was proud to call himself Sasuke's microwave. And if Sasuke needed a microwave, Itachi needed no less than a great global warming.

He returned to the stack of papers, his expression set. If he didn't manage to get through them in sixty minutes, he could not have the rest of the day free for Sasuke. Removing the first few sheets from the pile, he began to sort them. Messy handwriting, neat printed rows, even one or two liners, all sorts of weird reports cropped up. One of them consisted of a beautifully drawn, but otherwise irrelevant comic strip, depicting a tall boy who tripped over a plant, which immediately grew and attempted to strangle the boy, who was saved by a strategically placed kunai on his belt. Naruto felt a large sweatdrop behind his left ear. Curious, he checked the actual mission scroll.

To find some… forsythia… due to the recent tuberculosis epidemic in the town. Okay, maybe it was not that irrelevant after all.

He filed it away, feeling extremely dumb. He was about three quarters done. Check and file. Check and file. It was becoming mechanical as he did it over and over again. Check and file. Check and file. He picked up the last sheet, accomplished, when he heard the doorbell ring. Hurriedly shoving the paper into its file, he stepped out towards the doorway. Sasuke never used the doorbell. Who could it be now?

He opened the oak door with a wide smile upon his face, ready to welcome whoever at the door.

He found an ANBU operative in an eagle mask.

"Uzumaki-san?"

"Yes?" He was beginning to get suspicious and slightly afraid.

The ANBU pulled out a scroll and cleared his throat, "we regret to inform you," Naruto's heart sank, "that your husband, (The ANBU coughed) Uchiha Sasuke, has not returned from his mission. He has been classified as Missing in Action. However, we have dispatched a crew of experienced shinobi to search for him. We shall inform you of any news." The ANBU rolled up the scroll and slipped it into his pocket, and bowed, "I'm very sorry, Naruto-kun."

Naruto forced a small chuckle, "well, at least he's not dead… right?" he added uncertainly.

"This, this we have not confirmed. But rest assured, we will do our very best to get him back."

"I see…" he thanked the ANBU before closing the door, a little harder than he would have liked.

With trembling hands, he turned the lock. Once. Twice. Dropping his head against the wooden door, he willed himself to remain optimistic. Sasuke had to be alive. This was _Sasuke_ they were talking about. He would fight, to the very end, which, in this case, would NOT come. His life would not end. Not until they were old and grey and had lived life to the fullest, in which case he, Naruto, would die together with him.

He laughed nervously, breathing coming in short gasps. Sasuke would be fine. He would be fine. Fine. Because he would search for him himself. That granny could go to hell for all he cared. Sasuke.

* * *

"I said it once, I will not say it again. NO!"

"But why? Give me one good reason why I can't go and search for my husband, whom I haven't seen for two months, and is MISSING?"

"Because you are INJURED!"

"I have been in rehabilitation for FOUR MONTHS! How much longer can it get?"

"Up to a year, I told you already!"

"I don't care! If you don't allow me to go after him I'll… I'll…"

"You'll what?" Tsunade's tone was mocking, and she was getting desperate at the boy's hard headedness.

"I'll quit!"

"You can't quit as a shi—"

"I DON'T CARE! I'll go become a missing nin if that's what it takes to—"

He was cut off as a needle struck him in the arm, rendering him momentarily speechless, before drowsiness overcame him and he collapsed onto the ground, asleep.

"Never thought I'd have to use _That_ ever again." Snapping her fingers for someone to get in, she pointed to the boy on the ground.

"Please get him somewhere where he can't escape, and make sure he doesn't run off, especially out of the village. Tie him up or something. I don't want to do this but he is mentally unstable at the moment, so please do not allow any visitors for a week. And if he EVER mentions anything about being a missing nin, bring him back to me, and I will personally take care of it. And, oh, don't ever mention anything about Sasuke, or any Uchiha at all. Now off you go." She sat back down at her desk and lifted a cup of sake to her lips, draining it in one gulp. Maybe she overdid it when she said he was mentally unsound? After all, he just wanted to help his spouse. Love, love, love, what a confusing subject. And between two males too..

She pondered on this for a moment. Why did all orphans have to turn out homosexual? Kakashi and Iruka, now Sasuke and Naruto. She had to issue some decree, 'Don't die before your kid turns fifteen' or else all the clans in Konoha would be extinct within the next three generations. All such wonderful clans too…

She gulped down another bottle of sake, feeling slightly light headed, and flipped through the various files on her desk, still contemplating on the matter. She had better keep a close watch on all orphaned teens now. Perhaps even those from one parent families. Yes, she would do just that.

Another bottle in the bin. She really hoped that Sasuke was okay, for Naruto's sake.

O0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Aaaand, that's a wrap!

Haha, I hoped you enjoyed it!

I think I'll update it next week, or something. Poor little Ryoma is waiting for a psychiatrist… eheh

Any errors or silly mistakes, please tell me!

Luvluvluv,

MC


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